


Last Dance

by Koayyy



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Gen, Self-Sacrifice, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-09 21:05:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18646102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koayyy/pseuds/Koayyy
Summary: Joker watches the city from a high building, counting down the moments to his last performance.





	Last Dance

**Author's Note:**

> I've watched the p5r pv like 20 times now, and that last scene before the logo has left a really strong imprint on me for some reason, so this is a what-if fic based of that. I love Joker I swear. 
> 
> Title is a reference to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLdeykXCZX4). Enjoy!!

A whoosh and a loud tap. Illusionary wind and boots against fake concrete. He stops at the edge and looks over the cognitive city from the rooftop of a building.

He’s paying attention to the countless different lights shining to no one in particular, he’s a lone black figure against the blue curtain of night. Power cruises just a layer under his flesh and gathers behind his mask, his Personas hissing and roaring to the point of instability. He knows he won't last long, but still stands there and enjoys the view.

Joker wonders if the rest are still enjoying their false, happy reality. Morgana going through Tokyo in his human form, Haru going back home to her loving and living father, Sojiro and Futaba having a family dinner with Wakaba. He hasn’t seen the rest of the Thieves, so he can only wonder how they’re doing right now.

Will they be disappointed in him when he steals their dreams from them? It’s a bit too late to consider now, having made the deal with the real Igor. He still can’t help but wonder.

This will be his last heist—it’s too bad that his friends aren’t around to see his performance.

The scenery he burns into his mind is of a city illuminated with deep blue light. If he’s honest with himself, it’s a nice sight to see right before he suffers his fate. He himself was the one that told Chihaya that fate can be changed and yet, here he stands.

Joker doesn’t know how he should feel right now, moments away from giving away his life for the betterment of humanity. But he knows that he feels numb, as if he still hasn’t realized what he’s going to do, what he’s standing here for.

In any case, his trouble-magnet of a life in exchange for the rest of humanity is a worthy trade, no matter what he thinks or feels about it. He might have hesitated when Igor first proposed it, but he’s being true to himself when he says that the deal is worth it.

(If he keeps repeating it to himself, he’ll eventually believe it.)

He has to wake up humanity, since he was the only one that managed to break out of the illusions. No one else can do this, no one else can take his place. He must end it and open a new chapter for history.

A new chapter without him in it.

He’s taken too long stalling. The hissing and roaring in the back of his mind gets louder. Not even Arsene is coherent enough to talk to him. He’s too busy scarping his claws along the walls of his mind.

Joker needs to go, now. The longer he pauses, the longer he risks losing the control he has on this foreign energy. With how reality looks like now, no one knows what would happen if he just gives into the twisted music in his head.

He really, really needs to go.

He turns away, ready to start the heist, but stops. He can’t believe he forgot that tradition, it's the one that he looks forward to every time they send a calling card too. He turns back to the scenery, taking a few steps forward to place a foot on the raised edge of the rooftop.

“It’s showtime,” he says to an empty crowd. The hissing and roaring change into chuckles and laughter of mad glee. They’re expectant of him. He has to give them the best performance he can give.

It’s his last one, after all.

Joker closes his eyes as he turns away and starts walking to another edge. Stopping to observe the floating glass stairs for a moment, the steps frozen in time in the air. He can’t wait to crush it all under his heel.

With a one two, he jumps off the rooftop on a three and towards the spiralling stairs, towards his fate. His tailcoats fly with the wind until he sticks the landing, a loud tap resounding as his boot makes in contact with glass.

It’s really a shame that this will be his last.

He picks up his pace, going faster and faster as he descends. The Shadow is still out of sight, and he hopes he can end this without a battle. His Personas are a bit too… energized. He’s starting to fear what they’ll be able to do when he pulls his mask off, but he needs to stay in control. He’s the one in control.

The moment his boot leaves the last step and meets the ground, he sees it. A figure standing in the distance, watching him with wide red eyes. He hears laughter, but isn’t sure if it’s his Personas or the figure.

Joker can’t escape from confrontation now, so he takes his time to stroll towards them in plain sight. The red eyes are tracking his every move, the aura around them promising that it won’t be an easy fight that he can just scrape by.

He stops walking when he deems that he’s close enough. Any closer and he won’t be able to adapt to his Personas in time when they emerge. They’re staring at him, and he stares back.

He’s in control, but Arsene’s wordless torment isn’t helping.

The figure starts to change, and everything after that is played in a string of still images. Joker pulls his mask off and calls for a Persona, the Shadow wails in pain. The Shadow lands a hit on him. He feels a part of him is lost to a dream.

It’s a painful, slow fight as his Personas scream in his head. In the end, he defeats the Shadow with barely anything of himself left. He feels extra relieved as the Shadow turns back into its rightful appearance, but he doesn’t know what to do.

It’s hard to choose a course of action to comfort a crying Shadow when your skin feels like it’s burning under the surface.

The Shadow talks, and he can’t do anything but nod. The Shadow eventually disappears to where it belongs, in the physical form of a girl with a red ponytail. Joker is left alone with chilling silence from his Personas.

He lets exhaustion consume him, falling to the ground right beside the treasure. His ears are still ringing, and he can barely keep his eyes open by now. His heart tells him it’s finally the end, that he no longer has a place to fulfil, that he accomplished what he came for.

Joker thinks he hears the sound of the Phantom Thieves yelling his name as he closes his eyes, but it’s probably just the remnants of a desperate, dying wish.


End file.
